Creating Psychological Safety for Black Women at Your Company

Feelings of inclusion, connection, and trust with colleagues and managers are harder to come by for Black women due to the historical and sociocultural context of the U.S. workplace, and more broadly, our country. Research has shown that diverse teams need a foundation of psychological safety — the belief that everyone can pitch risky ideas and challenge the status quo without retaliation or judgment — to excel in the workplace. Additional research, as well as the authors’ professional experience as DEI strategy consultants and personal lived experience, shows that Black women require differentiated solutions to feel psychologically safe at both the interpersonal and organizational levels at work. They offer strategies for both individuals and organizations to do more to increase psychological safety for Black women.